


Wretched and Divine

by uncomposed



Category: Kuroshitsuji | Black Butler
Genre: F/M, Time Travel, except they go forward in time instead of some one coming back, so it's backwards
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-16
Updated: 2020-03-21
Packaged: 2020-09-01 22:09:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 12,296
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20265301
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/uncomposed/pseuds/uncomposed
Summary: Ciel Phantomhive and Sebastian Michaelis find themselves in the future aka a time travel fic.Sebastian x ofc





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi!   
This is a fic I wrote because I really wanted to so thanks for wanting to read it.  
Also the ofc is kind of annoying at first but she gets a personality, I promise.  
Anyway ily.

Willow Harlow carefully dried her hair and did her best not to look at the unused razor and shaving cream on the counter of her bathroom sink. Her hair dried quicker than it did when she had long hair. She recently cut it (_new hair, new me_ she thought at the time but now she wonders if it was a mistake). She looked at herself in the mirror. She wasn’t pretty but she wasn’t ugly. She was painfully normal. For her entire life, she felt that she was a background character, like those extras in a scene of a movie. She often wondered if she was put on this world to fill in the backgrounds of the important people. She wasn’t essential enough to be considered beautiful or hideous.

At least, she felt that way until she met Connor Hayes. Connor was, well, beautiful. He always had tanned skin, white teeth, and impeccable hair. He was popular with people, well-liked by babies and animals, and even knew three languages fluently. He was superhumanly perfect. And, as if it were icing on the cake, he noticed her. It was like it was out of a storybook. They met at a bar in town that her friend dragged her to, both ordering the same drink (rum and diet coke), their eyes met and they fell in love. 

She tried, she really did. He was very sociable and she was not. Willow remembers many times that she would be forced to go to parties and she would awkwardly sit on a couch alone. Connor would promise this time, this party he wouldn’t leave her side but he always did. She would sit alone until he got so drunk that he blacked out and she would drive him home. She rarely drank so she made the perfect designated driver. It didn’t help that none of his friends liked her, not even a little. 

Of course, that wasn’t the only problem in their relationship, not even close. He had a particular vision of what he wanted her to be. He picked out clothes that he thought she should wear, he told her to stop cussing so much, he refused to let her cut her hair. So, Willow tried. She wore those clothes, almost stopped cussing, kept her hair long. It still didn’t work. When she found out that he was cheating on her with Claire (his “we’re just friends, babe” friend), she was almost relieved for a moment. Then, the self-hate came in the like the ocean tide and all she could do is sob. He had already taken all of his stuff out of their shared apartment by the time she got off work so she was left with a hole in her life. Willow unhappily glanced at the shaving cream again. Well, he didn’t take everything. He forgot a couple of small things around the apartment and each thing was a new knife stabbing her lungs. 

She tore her eyes away from the counter and fixed her hair. She looked at her makeup bag on the counter and contemplated going through her routine. It was almost muscle memory after the year and half of being forced to wear it all. She decided against it, at least for this time. She wouldn’t let herself go after Connor dumped her. She would show him that she didn’t need him. But a small part of herself wondered if not wearing make up and not wearing the clothes he chose for her was really letting herself go.

She sighed in the mirror. Her hair was dried, she was all dressed for her trip to the grocery store. She finally had a day off work and she was tired of sitting around the house. Maybe some fresh air would make her feel better? She didn’t really have a precedence for this so she wasn’t sure. 

She opened the door to her bathroom and walked down the hallway. _Get some fresh air, feel the sun on my skin. I’ll feel much better!_ she thought to herself, entering her living room. Except, when she rounded the corner, there were people there. 

She blinked at the man and child standing in her living room. Her brain froze as she awkwardly blinked at them, who looked as bewildered as her. Then, like an old computer booting up, she managed to stutter out, “What the fuck?” 

As if they just noticed she was there, both of them had eyes trained to her. She began to panic, raising her hands above her shoulders. “Please, take whatever you want, just don’t hurt me.” It came out calmer than she could have hoped. 

The man and child glanced at each other. The child spoke, “Are we in America?” He had a posh British accent. Willow looked at what they were wearing for the first time. They looked like they were dressed in recreation clothing from Victorian England. The boy was dressed to the nines with a long overcoat and shorts that came to his knees. He had long socks that went up the majority of his shins and clunky black shoes. He had a black eye patch over his eye, but the uncovered eye was a brilliant blue. His hair was blue and fringed over his eyes. He looked annoyed and confused.

The man sighed. “Yes, my lord, it would seem so.” He also had a posh accent. He was dressed very formally, with a long tailcoat on his jacket and white gloves. His red eyes contrasted the dark black of his hair. 

Willow swallowed. “Great,” the boy muttered. 

“W-what are you doing here?”

They both looked at her again, taking in her appearance. She was wearing shorts that stopped mid-thigh and a printed tee. It was her most comfortable outfit outside of wearing sweats. “And she’s a lady of the night,” the boy sighed. 

_Lady of the night? Wait…does he think I’m a prostitute?_ Willow thought to herself. Her face contorted. “Excuse me?” she demanded. 

“My apologies,” the man bowed. “My young lord did not mean to offend.” The boy scoffed but the man continued regardless. “Would you be so kind to tell us where we are?”

“Uh,” she began lamely. “Do you not know where you are?”

“I’m afraid not, my lady. It’s sort of a long story,” he said sheepishly. She noticed how intensely handsome he is. His face was delicately structured with beautiful cheekbones and long lashes. They both looked like models out of a magazine. 

“Oh. You’re a half an hour away from Philly,” she said, eyes not leaving the couple. “But, how did you get in to my house?” 

“Philly?” the boy asked, looking again to the man.

“I believe she means Philadelphia, a city in Northeastern America,” the man said.

She nodded. “But, how did you get into my house?”

The boy looked around. “This is your…house?” He almost said it with a sneer, as if he felt that it was a sad excuse for a home.

“Yeah.” 

The boy sighed. He seemed impatient, as if he had somewhere more important to be and Willow was bothering him. “We apologize for intruding. We are not quite sure ourselves how we ended up here, though we thank you for your hospitality,” the boy announced politely. 

“Oh!” She wasn’t expecting him to be so polite. “It’s…okay, I guess?” She laughed awkwardly, running her hands through her hair. “But, who are you?”

The man stepped forward with a bow. “Let me introduce you to my master, Lord Ciel Phatomhive, Earl of the Phantomhive estate and sole owner of Funtom Industries. I am his head Butler, Sebastian Michealis.” 

As he talked, she began to furrow her brow. That was an extraordinarily long title for someone who couldn’t be older than 13. “Uh, hi. I’m Willow Harlow,” she said with a hesitant smile.

“Lady Harlow, a pleasure,” Sebastian said, grabbing her hand with his gloved one and placing gentle kiss on the back of her hand. 

She pulled her hand out of his and backed away quickly. She covered the hand that he kissed with the other hand, as if she was nervous that he would do it again. “Uh, sure,” she said uncomfortably.

Sebastian smiled at her mischievously, as though her response fascinated him. “Sebastian,” Ciel’s voice held a tone that meant something but Willow couldn’t tell what it was.

Sebastian straightened out again, his face returning to the polite smile that it had been. 

“Yes, my lord,” Sebastian nodded. “We have some questions, if that’s acceptable to you.”

“O-oh, sure,” Willow said blinking. Since she saw them, she felt like she was constantly just trying to keep up. It felt like she was climbing a ladder but several rungs were missing. She was doing her best just to not fall.

They stood there, looking at her as if they were waiting for something. Then suddenly, Willow understood. “Oh, please sit!” she gestured to her hand-me-down couch. “Can I…get something for you? I think I have tea?”

Ciel glanced at Sebastian. “Tea would be wonderful, thank you,” he replied curtly.

“Okay, um, just a moment.” She turned to leave.

“Please don’t strain yourself, Miss Harlow, I’ll get it,” Sebastian offered gently. 

She looked at him. He seemed earnest enough. She shrugged. “Okay, if you want to. The kettle is in the cabinet to the left of the sink. Cups are in the cabinet to the right of sink. Tea is the pantry,” she told him. He nodded and smiled. 

Ciel sat in the lone love seat. “To begin, what is that?” he asked, pointing to the television.

She sat down on the couch, closest to the love seat. “The television?” she asked bemusedly.

He blinked at her. “Which is?” His tone never sounded like a child talking to an adult but the opposite. It always sounded like he was trying to stay patient with her.

“Uh, shouldn’t we wait for your…butler?” 

“Sebastian? Why ever would we do that?” 

Willow laughed at how incredulous he sounded. “Never mind,” she shook her head. “But aren’t you taking this whole ‘I’m from Victorian England’ thing a little far?”

“From what?” Ciel cocked his head.

“Victorian England. You know, the 1800’s?” she laughed. 

“Sebastian?” he called, his eyes not leaving Willow. His gaze was searing. 

Suddenly, Sebastian was behind him with a mug of tea. Her mugs were all stained browned from tea and it had a chip in the side. “Miss Harlow, could I ask for the date?”

She blinked at him. “I think it’s June 4th,” she answered, tucking her hair behind her ear. 

Ciel took a sip of his tea and wrinkled his nose. “I apologize my lord, but that’s all she had in her cabinet,” Sebastian apologized.

She rolled her eyes. “What year is it?” Ciel demanded more than asked.

She laughed again. “2019, of course, has been for a while. Are you guys okay?”

Ciel choked on his tea. Sebastian narrowed his eyes. They stopped, not moving for a beat. “130 years in the future,” Ciel whispered, taking in a shallow breath. Willow would have laughed if it was not for look of awe and terror on his face. Sebastian nodded, his face contorting in anger. Willow just sat awkwardly, unsure of what was happening but certain that whatever it was, it wasn’t good.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! This is a quick update so like enjoy I guess.

Chapter 2

When Willow was a child, she went through phases of interest. Like many children, she became intensely interested in a subject only to drop it days later. This cycling of interests left a trail of unused cake pans, unread books about Ancient Egypt, and cancelled flute lessons. It just so happens that one of her interests was Victorian England.

She could never put a finger on what exactly it was that interested her so much about the time period. If asked, she would always blame it on the dresses that the woman of nobility wore, similar to the dresses that Disney princesses wore. She could imagine herself walking down long hallways with her ballgown barely brushing the floor. A handsome and kind gentleman holding out his hand to pull her into a waltz. They would barely touch but the romance was palpable. He would bow and call her “my love” and ask her father for her hand in marriage. For the 12-year-old Willow, that was the pinnacle of romance. She shortly got over it and moved on to ballet, but some information stuck out in her brain, even though it had been years since she last looked into the subject.

As she sat on her well-worn couch, watching the horror and anger spread on a thirteen-year-old’s face, she wondered if insanity was contagious. She, without a doubt, knew it wasn’t, though mob mentality is a valid problem. “Uh,” she said, attempting to draw their attention back to her. She felt uncomfortable watching the silent conversation between Ciel and Sebastian. 

Sebastian’s eyes crept back to the woman sitting in front of him. His face was back to the normal polite smile but there was an undercurrent of something else, like a worm on a hook. She felt like she was being baited. “My apologies, Lady Harlow. We were not expecting this news.”

She nodded slightly. “Is there something wrong?” The strangers glanced at each other. “What did you mean when you said that this is 130 years in the future?” They looked at her again. 

“It’s complicated,” Ciel said simply, waving a hand as if to shoo away the conversation.

Willow was almost insulted. They were in her house, right? She deserved answers. So, she gave her best smile and said with the most confidence she could muster, “Try me.”

Ciel leaned back and crossed his legs. “We are from the Year of Our Lord, 1889. Her Majesty, Queen Victoria, has reigned for 52 years.” He spoke with pride.

Willow furrowed her brow. “What?”

Ciel cocked his head. “Did you not hear me?”

“Well, yeah, I heard you but that doesn’t make sense.”

Sebastian’s smile crinkled the corner of his eyes but that felt off-putting to Willow for a reason she could not place. “Yes, it’s very-“

“Complicated?” she finished for him. Her face held no humor.

“Quite.”

Ciel sighed. “Well, it seems as though we ran into a powerful being that put us through time.”

Willow nodded slowly. “Right…but that’s not possible. ‘Powerful beings’ don’t exist.” She said this slowly and carefully as if she were talking with someone who was delusional. 

Ciel sighed again. He looked to Sebastian. Sebastian looked at him. “Right, well, please suspend disbelief for just a moment. We were investigating the murders of maidens who had their hearts cut out.” He said that statement so calmly that she almost missed it.

She choked. “What? Why on earth would you do that?”

Sebastian chuckled to himself. “It’s my job,” Ciel stated firmly.

“But you’re just a kid,” Willow exclaimed. She began running her hands through her hair, a nervous tic.

Ciel rolled his eyes. “Yes, well, I am quite capable. Regardless, we found the culprit and were about to apprehend them when we saw a bright light and we were here.”

“So…witchcraft?” Willow concluded in a joking tone. 

Sebastian regarded her carefully. “So, we believe,” he answered her. 

She snorted. “Yeah, okay. So, you expect me to believe that you are thirteen-year-old detective who is also an Earl or whatever who was thrown 130 years in the future by witchcraft?” 

Ciel looked at her. “Yes. More or less.”

The information was a puzzle to her and some of the pieces weren’t fitting. There were more questions than answers in front of her and, if she was being honest, she wasn’t sure that asking any of them would help. They were an enigma and it frustrated her. But it was the most exciting thing that happened to her since Connor left. Her heart pounded with the novelty of it all. “Well, what do you expect to do now?” 

Ciel shrugged. “I’m not really sure, if I’m honest. We need to find lodging and then figure out how to reverse the spell.”

“You can stay here, if you want,” she offered. A large part of her worried that they were conning her and they would rob her the minute she looked away. However, her heart was pounding too loud to hear it. She could feel her pulse without touching her skin, a smile was spreading on her face without her permission.

Ciel and Sebastian smiled politely. “Thank you for your kind offer. We hope to not be too much of a bother,” Ciel graciously stated. There was something knowing in their eyes as if they would have been surprised if she said anything different. 

“Oh, it’s no big deal, I guess. It won’t be to the standard of an Earl, but I’m happy to help if I can,” she concluded. 

“It will be quite fine. I will offer Sebastian’s services during our stay. It’s the least I could do,” Ciel said, swirling his tea. 

Willow blinked rapidly at his statement. “Oh, no,” she squeaked. “It’s fine, I don’t really need a butler. You can just relax!” 

Ciel was amused for a moment. “Nonsense, it would be his pleasure. Wouldn’t it, Sebastian?”

Sebastian nodded and bowed deeply. “Of course, my Lord. I would be honored to assist you in any way.”

“Well, alright, but don’t do too much.” She ran her hand through her hair again. “I can help you guys research time travel later but right now, I have to go to the grocery store.” 

“Ah, the market?” Sebastian exclaimed. “I can assist you if you wish. It would be best as I know what the young master is willing to eat.” 

She looked bemusedly at Ciel. “Are you a picky eater?” 

He huffed. “Hardly, I just have refined palate.”

She laughed. “That’s just rich kid speak for being a picky eater.”

Ciel bristled at the comment but didn’t respond. He was obviously unused to people treating him like a human being. “Shall we go?” Sebastian asked, catching her attention.

“Oh, yeah, let me get my keys,” she muttered. Willow glanced at the mirror next to her door (a necessity when dating Connor, she had to make sure not a hair was out of place), grabbed her keys from the bowl on the table, and reached for the door knob. She froze and turned back to Sebastian. “Uh, should he come with us?”

“Whatever for?” Sebastian asked incredulously.

“Well, he’s a kid. You can’t leave a child home alone, I think,” she answered.

“I’m sure I will be able to handle myself, thank you very much,” Ciel responded almost shrilly. 

She smiled mischievously. “Right,” she said. “If you say so.” She grabbed her sunglasses laying on the same table as her keys and slid them on. “Behave,” she ordered Ciel with a laugh, walking out the door. Sebastian followed her dutifully, closing it behind himself. He seemed uncomfortable for a reason she could not ascertain. She walked past the doors of her neighbors’ doors and was immediately thankful that she did not have to deal with anyone being nosy. She hadn’t yet figure out a cover story. 

As they walked to her car, it quickly dawned on her that Sebastian had never been in a car before. “Uh,” she began, like she began most of her sentences. Sebastian looked at her expectantly to continue. “Well, we’re going to be driving there.” He fell into step with her. 

“Oh?”

“Yeah, it’s a car and, well, I don’t think they’ve been invented yet in the 1880’s so I just don’t want you to freak out,” she warned. 

He nodded. “I hardly think I will ‘freak out’ but I appreciate the concern.”

“Yeah,” she looked away. When they finally arrived at the parking lot, she allowed him to take in the modern world for the first time. She supposed to new eyes it would look amazing. The roads were completely paved. There were advertisements on the billboards near her house. The cars were whizzing past them on the roads. People walked around in shorts and tee shirts, unabashedly holding hands and kissing. The air smelled of chemicals and the deep-frying chicken of the nearby fast food restaurant. To her, it was home but, to Sebastian, it must have been a whole new planet. She glanced at him nervously. His face was impassive but his red eyes roamed over everything in front of him as if he couldn’t take it in fast enough. “Are you okay?” She tilted her head nervously.

He nodded. “I’m completely fine. Why do you ask?”

“Well, it’s a lot,” she trailed off, continuing to her car.

“Yes, I suppose but nothing is terribly different. These cars are no different than carriages. The roads are similar though they seem to be made of a strange material. Advertising was a common practice though not nearly on the same scale,” he remarked, walking dutifully next to her. 

“Yeah, I guess that makes sense,” she smiled. She walked next to her car. It was a clunker but it was reliable enough. She opened her door only to be stopped by his hand.

“Please, let me,” he offered chivalrously. He bowed, extending an arm to assist her in sitting in the driver’s seat. 

“Oh, sure?” His brow cocked at the confusion in her voice. She sat quickly and pulled on her seat belt. He swung the door shut and, after a few moments of awkward movements, slid into his own side. She motioned for him to buckle his seat belt which he figured out quickly. She nervously glanced at him as she started the car. For his credit, he didn’t jump when the engine turned over but he did look a tad concerned as she began to reverse out of the parking spot. She began driving, as gently as she could. As she finally reached the speed limit of 40 miles per hour, she braved another glance towards him. 

“So, we should figure out our story,” she began. He looked uncomfortable but unbothered by the advanced technology. 

“Story?”

“Yeah, well, this town is pretty small and we are bound to run into someone I know. So, I have to figure out why I have a well-dressed British man with me.” 

“I see,” he responded, his eyes darting to her and then back to the windshield.

“So, I was thinking that you could be my extended family who lived in England. You are a part of a play, or something, so that’s why you’re dressed so strangely. It won’t work again, of course, but we can pick up some clothes from the store while we’re there,” she planned. 

“Yes, but we look nothing alike,” he smirked.

“Oh, yeah. Well, I’ll figure something out on the spot, I guess. Just go along with whatever I say,” she ordered and he nodded. She put on her blinker to turn into the grocery store and pulled into the nearest spot. As she put it into park, she noticed he was no longer next to her in the car. Before she could be properly confused by his absence, he was already pulling her door open. “Thanks,” she muttered. 

He seemed amused by her response but said nothing. They walked to the door of the small grocery store but before they could pull the door open, a familiar face pushed the door open. _Claire, of course, it would Claire right now_, Willow thought to herself.

Claire was everything that Connor wanted Willow to be. She was beautifully dressed. Her body was sculpted from her daily early morning jogs. Her hair was perfectly placed and her make-up was skillfully drawn on. She even smelled good, damn her. 

It took Claire a second to recognize Willow but when she did an unkind smile sprung to her face. “Willow!” she shrieked, in a fake excitement. 

“Oh, hey Claire,” Willow said awkwardly.

“It’s been too long,” she pouted. She glanced at Sebastian and her eyes went wide. “Wow! Who’s this?”

“My name is Sebastian Michaelis, my lady. It is a pleasure to meet you, Miss Claire,” he said with a bow, placing a soft kiss on the back of her hand. She blushed in response and squealed. 

“Wow, where did you get him?” 

“Uh, get him?” Willow asked, running her hand through hair.

“Yeah, he’s your boyfriend, right?” 

“Oh, well…” Willow didn’t know how to respond.

Sebastian leaned close and whispered so Claire couldn’t hear. “Boyfriend?” 

“She thinks we are romantically involved,” Willow responded with a sigh. He nodded slowly, his eyes not leaving Claire.

“Well, he’s cute! I’m so glad you’re not mad at me for that stuff with Connor. You’re not mad, right?” Claire said with a huge smile. 

“Uh, right,” Willow mumbled. “Water under the bridge.”

“Wonderful! I knew you wouldn’t be. It wasn’t meant to be for you guys really. I promise he’s much happier with me than he ever was with you!” Willow winced at that comment. “Oh, no. Did I offend you? I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to. It’s just, he loves me a lot and he told me he never really loved you and you deserve better than that.”

Willow tried to pretend Claire’s every word didn’t punch a new hole into her self-esteem. “Right, well, we’ve got to get going,” Willow grimaced.

“Yeah, of course! You guys are so cute! Really!” Claire called, carrying her bags past Willow and bumping into her enough to make her stumble.

Willow just watched as she walked to her car. “Fucking bitch,” she whispered to herself. 

“A enemy of yours?” Sebastian asked knowingly. 

“That obvious, huh?” Willow asked dejectedly.

“I’m quite familiar with the backwards talk of enemies pretending to be acquaintances,” Sebastian asserted, pulling the door open for her. Willow crinkled her nose at the gesture but began to walk anyway. “If I may, who is Connor?” The way he said his name sounded like a poison he was trying to spit out. It almost made her laugh.

“Connor is…Connor is, well…”

“Complicated?” He finished for her.

She laughed openly. “Yeah, you could say that.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello this chapter is not my best but here it is regardless.  
Also these will be the last OC's, I promise (except for Connor who will inevitably show up somewhere). I know it sucks when there are a lot of OC's to remember.

Sebastian was very accustomed to the markets of London. Keeping a household fully stocked, especially when his very temperamental master could order a cake at anytime of day, was a task in of itself. The modern-day version was different than what he expected. At first, the issue was that there were so many choices. Buying bread from the markets was fairly easy. Sebastian knew the right merchant who sold the best bread for the most reasonable price. However, as he and Willow stood in the bread aisle, there were at least 10 different merchants of the same type of bread. Sebastian felt a bit lost but he could easily defer to Willow’s expertise. The next was the price. The milk was $3.49. Sebastian knew logically that there was an exchange rate but $3 was more than most people made in a year. How in the world could anyone afford a whole gallon of milk for that much? Willow just shrugged and placed it in the cart with the rest of the unimaginably high-priced foods. 

Willow pushed a cart to a clothing rack and started sifting through the clothes on hangers. Sebastian stood to the side, unsure of what she was doing. “So, what is Ciel’s size?” she asked, pulling a hanger off the rack. She looked at the tag.

“I don’t have his most recent measurements. That’s something that the seamstress usually deals with.”

Willow laughed. “He has a seamstress?” 

“Of course. How else would he get clothes?” Sebastian seemed legitimately bewildered which made Willow laugh even harder.

She wiped a tear from the corner of her eye. “He’s such a rich kid.”

Sebastian seemed a tad confused but nodded. “Yes, he does have an unusual amount of wealth.”

Willow looked at the shirt in her hand and held it up. “Well, this looks like it will fit him. He’s a small enough kid so this may give him some room to grow. Now we have to get him underwear and pants and he should be all set.” Willow glanced at the man in front of her. “You also need some clothes.”

She hurried to a different rack clearly labelled “Men’s”. She sifted through a few shirts and pulled out a black tee. “Here, go try this on,” she ordered, shoving the shirt and a pair of jeans into his hands. She pointed at the sign and he dutifully obeyed. 

Willow walked back to “Boy’s” section, trying to figure out what size pants Ciel would wear. She figured that she could buy a range of sizes and see which fit him best. She could always return the others and buy more of that size. She gathered what she could find, grabbed a few more shirts, and was attempting to figure out what size underwear she should buy when she heard a very gentle, “Lady Harlow?” come from behind her.

When she turned, her heart stopped. Sebastian was handsome in his butler clothes, there was no denying that. However, when she saw him in a fitted black tee with jeans, her brain stopped. He was a vision, more beautiful than anyone she had ever seen. She could tell he had a body sculpted from the Gods, she subconsciously wet her lips with the tip of her tongue. 

Sebastian smirked knowingly, ruining the effect. Willow turned bright red and scowled. “Are these clothes acceptable, Lady Harlow?”

“You can just call me Willow,” she mumbled, looking away.

“Oh, I couldn’t do that, Lady Harlow. It would be…inappropriate,” he said, his voice sultry and soft. The way his lips moved over the word “inappropriate” should be illegal, it was so sinful.

Willow ignored the chills that spread down her spine. Instead, she rolled her eyes and turned to back to the underwear on the shelf. She grabbed a package and thrusted the clothes in her hands into his arms. “These are for Ciel. Let’s get out of here,” she huffed and turned to grab her cart. As they navigated the shelves to get to the cash register, she fought down the lump in her throat that was slowly growing. She wasn’t sure why she wanted to cry but she was certain it had to do with Connor somehow. It always did. 

Luckily for her, Ben was at the register today. “Willow!” he exclaimed upon seeing her. Ben was a friend, one of the few that didn’t completely abandon her during her relationship with Connor. Connor hated her hanging out with her friends that were boys, but no one more than he hated her being with Ben. He was, in a word, attractive. He had dark skin, his build was on the skinny side with defined muscles, and a perfect smile (one of the many benefits to having a dentist for a mother). But, above all, he was unwaveringly kind. Ben was the special kind of friend, the type that was loyal to a fault. That was what she appreciated about him.

“Hey, Ben,” Willow smiled. She really did miss him.

“How have you been?” Ben asked. She knew that he knew about her break up but he seemed legitimately curious about her well being.

“I’m great. How are you?” 

“Oh, fine. You know, we don’t really get too busy here,” Ben shrugged as he started to check out her purchases. “Claire was just in here. Did you run into her?”

“Yeah, Ben, I did.”

“And?” He asked, peering at her.

She was a silent for a moment. The beeps of the register scanning her groceries and an old song from the 80’s were the only sounds between the two. “I’m fine,” she said, her voice softer. 

Then, Ben noticed the strange man next to her (and subsequently the piles of male clothes on the belt) and stopped. “Uh, hey,” Ben said, confused.

“Oh, Ben, this is Sebastian,” Willow said, pointing at the man at her side.

“Oh, hey, man,” Ben said with a wave.

“Pleased to meet you,” Sebastian said with a polite nod. 

“So, uh, how do you know each other?”

“Well, they’re dating of course!” A shrill voice came from behind Ben. It belonged to Kailey, Claire's best friend and attack dog. She was also beautiful but, if there was a hierarchy, she was second best to Claire. It was obvious to anyone outside of the pair that Kailey tried to copy Claire's every move. She wore similar clothes, kept her hair in the same style, did her make up the same way. Regardless, she was always second best. Which, apparently, turned her into a bitch.

Willow sighed internally. “Kailey, hello.” Willow pinched the bridge of her nose. 

“Willow,” Kailey smiled. “So, the little hermit found a boyfriend. Oh, and pitching outside of your league again, I see. My, my, do you ever learn? I mean, Connor dumped your sorry ass because you were so pathetic. Do you think that ‘Sebastian’ won’t do the same?”

“Wow, Kailey. ‘Pathetic’. That’s a three-syllable word. That’s really impressive for you. Have you been reading ‘Baby’s First Dictionary’?” Ben responded, his eyes not leaving the register in front of him. His eyes refused to look at Willow but he continued with his job dutifully. 

“Oh, shove it, Ben,” Kailey sneered. 

“Maybe you should get back to work? Or are you going to blow the boss in the backroom again to make sure he doesn’t fire you,” he answered. 

Willow coughed out a laugh. Kailey narrowed her eyes at him and turned on her heel. She stomped off, her long hair swishing as she walked. 

Sebastian didn’t look offended at the exchange but he seemed very interested in Ben. “Sorry, Ben,” Willow said sincerely.

“Issokay,” he said, still not looking up at her. “She’s a bitch anyway.”

Willow laughed again. “Yeah, she really is.”

He glanced at her. “I don’t know how you hung out with her when you were dating…”

“Connor,” Willow finished for him. She wasn’t so pathetic that she couldn’t say his name, right? The lump in her throat was back again. 

“That dick,” Ben mumbled.

She smiled warmly at him. “It didn't really go well." She paused for a moment. "I really miss you,” she said sincerely, her voice choking a bit. 

His eyes went wide for a second and then he coughed awkwardly. “Y-yeah. I miss you too.” 

She handed him her credit card. Sebastian furrowed his brow at the lack of cash but wisely did not ask any questions. Before she could grab her bags, Sebastian had already looped them onto his arms (making his incredibly chiseled biceps more evident, not that Willow noticed). Ben was looking anywhere but her direction again. “Well, I’ll text you? Maybe we can hang out or something, if you want,” Willow said happily.

“Y-yeah, just let me know,” Ben nodded.

“Great. Bye, Ben!” Willow said, turning to leave. 

“Yeah, bye,” Ben said, his voice sounding small.

“Have a good evening…Ben,” Sebastian said. Willow quirked an eyebrow at the tone he used to say Ben’s name but said nothing.

“Bye,” Ben said shortly and began to check out the next customer. 

Willow was slightly confused but shrugged it off. She was going to have her friend back, something that she never imagined that was possible. She thought she burned all of her bridges to keep Connor warm. It was refreshing to know that she wasn’t alone, not completely.

The ride home was fairly quiet, which was much needed after the headache inducing trip to the market. As she pulled into the parking lot for her apartment complex, she glanced at the man next to her for a moment and then gasped loudly. “What’s the matter?” he asked, tilting his head.

“We didn’t pay for the clothes you’re wearing! We have to go back and pay for them,” she insisted, putting the car in reverse again.

Sebastian laughed. “Why?”

“Because…because it’s stealing, Seb.”

Sebastian blinked at the nickname. “It can wait until later. I need to check on my lord,” he insisted.

Her eyes went wide. “Oh crap, I forgot we left him all alone.”

Sebastian was outside of her door in flash to open it. She was quickly becoming accustomed to his chivalry. However, she was surprised to see the bags looped around his arms again. When did he do that? She shrugged it off but it was certainly strange. 

The trek to her door was short and soon enough, she unlocked her front door. Ciel was sitting on the same loveseat, reading the complete collection of Shakespeare works her grandmother bought her years ago. It's place on the bookshelf in her living room still had a dusty imprint of where it sat. She had never read it but she kept it around. “Ciel!” she exclaimed. 

“Welcome back. You both certainly took ages,” he said with a look to Sebastian. 

“I apologize, my young master. We had a few issues,” he explained, setting the bags in the kitchen. 

“So,” Willow began, plopping on the couch. “How did snooping around my apartment go?” 

Ciel looked alarmed. “Whatever are you talking about?” 

Willow gave him an unimpressed look. “Come now. You’re a detective and a thirteen-year-old in the future. You snooped. So, tell me. Did you find anything interesting?”

Ciel looked defeated. “No, nothing of consequence. Though, your taste in books is disappointing at best. This was the only book that was of any interest.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t live up to your standards,” Willow said sarcastically. She stood up again, stretching. By the time she walked into the kitchen, all of the bags were already empty. She blinked at Sebastian. “How did you do that?”

“What are you referring to?”

“How did you put away everything away so quickly?”

“Sebastian,” Ciel called from the living room.

“One moment,” he said to Willow and disappeared into the living room. There were hushed whispers but Willow couldn’t make out any words. Not that she was trying to eavesdrop, some things were meant for a boy and his butler. She checked all of her cabinets to make sure it all went where it was supposed to. Not a single thing was out of place. In fact, some places were dusted. Nothing was making sense. 

“Willow,” Ciel called. She rolled her eyes but walked into the living room.

“Yes, my lord,” she said jokingly. 

Ciel huffed. “That’s quite enough of that.”

“Alright, alright” she tutted. “What do you want?”

“How best would we research witchcraft?”

“Oh,” Willow hummed. “I think the library, maybe? I can do all of the internet research.” 

Ciel tilted his head. “And what is the internet?” His voice was bored, as if he was tired of being out of the know. 

Willow laughed. “Uh, I’m not really sure but I know that you shouldn’t have access to it.”

“Why not?” he huffed.

“Call it intuition,” she waved away. As little as she knew about the pair, she had a feeling that unmitigated access to internet would be disastrous. “It’s Sunday so the library isn’t open but we can go in the morning. I have work at 10 so we will have to make it quick.”

“Ah, and what do you do?” Ciel asked politely, grabbing the mug full of tea that Sebastian made while she wasn’t looking. How does he keep doing that?

“Oh, nothing terribly important. I run the cashier at a bookstore,” she explained. She wondered idly if they would be concerned that a woman had a job but neither seemed bothered. She stared at the pair. They moved without speaking, like they shared a brain. Without opening his mouth to give an order, Sebastian handed the newspaper to Ciel. They were fascinating but also quite boring at the moment. A thought occurred to Willow, she could just Google the child.

So, she did. She pulled out her phone and quickly typed “Ciel Phantomhive” in to the browser (she did her best guess on the spelling). There was a Wikipedia page so she quickly tapped on the link. As she read through his history, she couldn’t stop herself from gasping. 

“Is there a problem?” Ciel asked, his voice indicating he had no interest in anything that wasn’t the newspaper in front of him.

“Oh, Ciel. I’m so sorry,” Willow said, her eyes glassy. 

He folded the paper in confusion. “Whatever for?”

“Your parents died in a fire,” she nearly whined. 

Ciel looked alarmed. “How in hell do you know about that?”

“I’m reading your biography,” Willow shrugged. She kept reading. “It says here that you’re the founder of Funtom Industries, a company that makes…child toys?” She looked up to confirm. Then, she continued. “You’re engaged to Elizabeth Midford who is…your first cousin?” Her voice was incredulous. 

Ciel snarled in response. “That’s actually quite common, my lady,” Sebastian responded gracefully. 

Willow did not look impressed. “If you say so. Anyway, according to this your house is a historic house that offers tours of a ‘wealthy mansion owned by one of Victorian England’s elite’. Maybe you should visit,” Willow joked. 

“Perhaps,” Ciel responded, pulling up the paper again. 

She continued reading but stopped after the “Childhood” section. She didn’t want to ruin anything for him or herself. She knew that if she read how he died that she would tell him and she shouldn’t mess with time like that. “It’s funny that they don’t mention your butler,” she said wistfully.

“Why would they?” Ciel responded quickly.

“No love lost here, huh?” Willow laughed, tucking her phone in her pocket again. “Do you want to…sit down?” She asked to Sebastian, who stood behind Ciel’s chair. 

“Thank you for the offer, but I should get started on cleaning,” Sebastian answered. Ciel chuckled behind his paper and Willow sighed. 

“Alright. Well, I guess I’ll read or something,” Willow said awkwardly. Ciel made no response and Sebastian had already left to the kitchen. She was quickly realizing that just because they’re from the past doesn’t mean that they were any fun. She sighed again, grabbed a book, and began to read.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lmao this is so much later. But I stopped writing because nothing sounded good but then I thought, hey, who cares? And so this is something that I enjoyed writing but may not be good.

Ciel looked nervously out the window of the moving car. He had his fingers laced uncomfortably together, his knuckles turning white. His face betrayed no concern but his eyes kept darting around as if he was expecting the car to blow up any minute. Sebastian leaned forward from the back seat and adjusted the seatbelt that was across the young boy’s chest for the third time since Willow pulled out of the parking lot. Willow laughed. “Ciel, it will be fine. Trust me,” she said, checking her blind spot before changing lanes. Ciel’s breath caught with every bump in the road.

“It’s unnatural,” he muttered. 

“Maybe, but it’s safe. I promise,” she said with a smile. Ciel humphed in response, crossing his arms. He looked completely out of place, even wearing his new modern clothes. 

Getting him to wear the clothes of this century was difficult. He complained about the fabric, he complained about the color, he complained about the logos. The shorts were too short and he hated khaki. Eventually, his constant bitching irritated Willow to the point she threw her hands up and exclaimed, “If you’re that unhappy, go pick out your own damn clothes.” Ciel responded something smug but dropped the matter for the moment, though Willow knew she had not heard the last of “poor quality, trash fabric of this century, ugly even to the blind” comments that she had been plagued with for the last hour. They weren’t that ugly, a simple black tee with cargo shorts going to his knees. He looked like an average kid.

As she parked in the parking lot of the library, Ciel sighed, obviously relieved that they had not died a painful death. She couldn’t stop the smirk that formed on her face. “I don’t know what you’re smiling about. I was only worried you would not be competent enough to get here without a disaster,” Ciel said, glaring at her. 

While it was a very impressive glare, she was not affected in the slightest. “I’m so sorry, my lord. Did I please you?” she asked in a sarcastic tone. The engine turned off with the turn of her key. 

“Very funny,” Ciel said humorlessly. Sebastian was at his door, swinging it open with a slight creak. He offered his hand, assisting him to stand on the paved lot.

Willow didn’t bother waiting for Sebastian and opened her door herself, earning a raised eyebrow from the butler. She just shrugged and adjusted her purse back on her shoulder. 

“Okay, so welcome to the library,” she said in her best tourist voice. She grandiosely waved her hand. “To your left, we have the main building. If you look to your right,” she said as she gestured to the ground to their right, “this is the curb that I tripped off of when I was six and broke my front tooth. Thank goodness for adult teeth, am I right?” She smiled toothily and giggled. She spun around and marched them to the door. 

The air conditioning made her sigh in relief. The library itself was pretty outdated. The computers were from the early 2000’s and the books sometimes had stains and rips. Regardless, this was her happy place. She always felt at peace in a library. Sebastian and Ciel lit up at the sight. The nearly tech-less building was obviously refreshing after the onslaught of modernity. “Okay, so the library is organized using the…”

“Dewey decimal system?” Ciel interrupted, already heading towards the section labelled “Witchcraft”. 

“Uh, yeah. So, you’ve heard of it, then?” She responded, quickly catching up with him.

“Of course,” Sebastian said politely. 

“Oh, cool. Anyway, hurry and pick some books. I need to get to work in an hour,” she said, looking at her watch. They were already immersed in looking at titles and fussing over books. The entire experience was relatively quick and they were leaving with an armful of books in twenty minutes. 

After a quiet ride home (and a very relieved Ciel), she ushered them back into her apartment. She quickly changed into her work clothes and grabbed her keys. “Lady Harlow?” Sebastian called after her. 

“Yeah?” she responded while fixing her hair in the mirror by the door. It was her second day without make up and she was very unhappy with how her face looked. A quick glance to her watch told her she did not have enough time to put it on so she would just have to deal with it.

“You need to eat breakfast first,” he said, holding a freshly baked muffin out to her. 

“Ah, well,” she said awkwardly, grabbing the muffin. It was still warm. “W-when did you have time to make this?”

He smiled warmly. “A butler finds a way,” he said noncommittally. “Have a wonderful day.”

“Thanks, Seb,” she said with smile and turned back to the door. “Behave, Ciel.” A snort was her response. She quickly left.

Eight hours later, she trudged into her front door. She dumped her keys on the table by the door, kicked off her shoes, and huffed to her couch. She slumped down.

Ciel looked up from the book he was reading. “Welcome back.”

“Thanks,” she sighed. She sat up. “Any luck?”

Ciel rolled his eyes. “Hardly. A lot of this is nonsense.” 

“It’s all nonsense,” Willow countered. 

“Oh?” Ciel said. His sounded amused which irritated her. 

“Yeah, witchcraft isn’t real,” she responded. 

“How do you explain me being here?” Ciel asked, setting his book down and leaning back. 

“Well, I can’t but that doesn’t mean its witchcraft. Maybe I’m going crazy,” she said with a shrug.

Sebastian walked in with two cups of teas. “Tea, my lady?” he asked, bowing. 

“Uh, sure. Thanks.” She grabbed the teacup he held out to her and dropped one of the sugar cubes. 

Ciel sipped his and coughed. “Sebastian, what the hell is this?” 

“It’s English Breakfast tea. Does it not please my lord?”

“Obviously not. Give me something better.”

“Please,” Willow offered under her breath. 

Ciel looked at her with narrowed eyes. “You will not tell me how to reprimand my butler.” His voice was full of venom. Willow realized that she unthinkingly always classified him as a child, almost like a little brother. His aura changed. Though he was young, he had the presence of a man with power. For a moment, it was as though he pressed the barrel of a gun to her temple. 

Willow’s heart began to pound. “Sorry, man,” she responded, her eyes not meeting his. She set her cup down with a gentle clink. 

“My apologies, my lord. I will have something better momentarily.” 

Willow just laid back down on her couch. The tension hadn’t left the room. She bit her lip and stared at the ceiling. There was no sound but the occasional flip of a page and the gentle bangs of Sebastian making tea in the kitchen. Unwillingly, her eyes fluttered shut and she was asleep before she knew it. 

She wasn’t sure how long she was asleep but she was woken up with a loud exclamation of triumph. She groaned and rubbed her eyes. All of her candles were lit and the two time travelers were huddled around one of the more brightly lit ones. “Read this here, it says ‘One the eve of a new moon, a witch may send a pest through time but only if she first sacrifices something she loves, something she’s lost, and something she could never gain’. The book talks about a flash of light and that the victims can be thrust through time.” Ciel’s voice became more sure as he talked. “That must be it.”

“And does the book have recommendations for sending us home?” Sebastian asked.

Ciel hummed. “Ah, this says that there must have been a permanent symbol that will last through time. It says ‘the permanent symbol is a two way door, if the pests are able to complete the ritual on the eve of a new moon at the same place as they were transported, they would be able to return, so witch beware’. So, this is how we can get back.”

Willow rubbed her eyes. “Hey, that’s great! You figured out how to get back.”

Ciel glanced at her but quickly looked back at the book. Sebastian stood back up. “What are your orders my lord?”

“We must get to England. I’m sure that’s where the symbol will be. Acquire passage to England immediately.”


	5. Chapter 5

Willow winced when the first rays of the morning light hit the living room window. She was having a lovely dream, not that she could remember much of it. There was the smell of lilacs and chocolate cake. Beautiful rugs and ornate furniture. A gentle smile and white gloves. Birds twittering in windows and a soft moan. "Ah, good morning, Lady Harlow." The voice did not alarm her in her sleepy state. Instead, it begged to lull her back, as if it had a place in her subconcious.

She hummed, rolling away from the light from the window. She desperately wanted to get back to that beautiful place. "Morning, Seb," she muttered. Her brain slowly started up and quickly realized that Sebastian was standing over her. "O-oh. Hello, Sebastian." Sebastian smiled in return and left to the kitchen. 

"I see you're finally awake," Ciel said snidely, flipping the newspaper page. His hair was perfectly styled and was obviously begrudingly wearing a Minecraft tee with black pants. He sat on her loveseat, the only place he found comfortable in her house. She noticed how confidently he was doing everything, even sitting and reading the newspaper. He made her chair seem like a throne, which was a fairly impressive transformation from a $40 IKEA chair. It took two days for her to figure out how put it together and Ciel made it into an empire. That jerk. Ciel continued to read, unaware of her internal diatribe. "What is this cell phone that keeps getting mentioned?" 

"Uh," Willow said. "It's sort of a technology. Wait, do you guys have telephones?" 

"Of course," Ciel said, nearly insulted.

"Well, yeah, it's telephone that you can bring with you." Willow stood and stretched. She was still wearing her work clothes and she was desperate for a shower. 

"Fascinating. How does that work?" 

"I don't know, kiddo. How do phones work?" she asked sarcastically.

"Well, it starts off with-"

"Never mind, I was kidding. I'm going to go shower."

"Fine," Ciel dismissed. "But then we need assistance in getting to London."

"Oh, couldn't figure it out?" She asked, playfully.

"Sebastian has room for improvement, I suppose," Ciel sighed, picking up the newspaper again. 

"Well, put it on his report card," Willow called as she walked into the bathroom. She smiled broadly as she heard the stoic boy chuckle. She considered that a win.

As she closed the door, she rubbed the sleepiness out of her eyes. The boys have only been in her house for two days but she already felt the lasting effects. She hadn't even thought of Connor in...

With that, her heart fell. Connor. He was still a needle in her heart. His shaving cream was still on her counter. She set her head gently on the wall and stared at it. She remembered vividly walking in and seeing Claire's legs in the air. Her high pitched squealing as Connor moved quickly, in and out. It was burned into her mind, replayed over and over again. Her own personal hell and the worst type of porn, all wrapped into one. 

She was trying not to cry, but the shaving cream started to get blurry. She turned on the faucet to the tub, hoping the loud sound would drown out the sobs that would undeniably come. She shed her clothes quickly, sat on the floor of her bathtub, and started crying harder than she ever had. The water fell over her as ran her hands through her dripping hair. She felt like she was going insane. She has been so happy for the past 48 hours, but the second she stepped away from them, she realized how ridiculous she was for ever feeling joy. Connor often told her how lost she would be without him and she understood what he meant. She was lost. 

There would no longer be anyone who would tell her when she was being too loud. What if she became too loud? What if no one ever talked to her again because Connor wasn't there to tell her she was being obnoxious? She would be alone, just like she was now. She was truly alone because none of her friend liked her anymore. The man she thought she would love for the rest of her life had fucked his friend. She sobbed harder, grabbing her thighs tightly. She might get bruises but something about being a wretch on the bottom of her tub was so cathartic. 

There was a gentle knock on door. "Y-yeah," she whimpered. 

"Lady Harlow?" It was Sebastian. Of course it was. Another adonis of a man who had one foot out of the door. 

She tried to make her voice brighter. "What can I help you with?" She was a little proud how stable her voice sounded. 

"Are you okay?" 

How did he know? He couldn't have heard her with the water running. She had only been in the shower for fifteen minutes, so it wasn't like she overstayed her time in the shower. "Yes, why?" 

"No reason," his voice was sharp. She got the impression that he didn't enjoy being lied to, but, again, how could he know? "I have breakfast ready for you, whenever you're ready."

"Oh, thank you, Seb. I'll be out in a minute." She stood up and shut off the water. She knew she hadn't really washed herself but she no longer had the energy to care. 

She quickly dried herself off and brushed her hair out. She didn't bring any clothes out so she firmly wrapped a towel around her and opened the door. The steam from her overly-hot shower escaped as she walked out of the bathroom. From their place in the living room, Ciel and Sebastian glanced in her direction. Sebastian's hand soon firmly clamped to Ciel's eyes, although it may have been in vain because the boy's face was already had a burnt red blush. "What?" she asked, popping a hip. Sebastian's expression chastised her enough and she quickly turned into her room and got dressed.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiya kiddos. This chapter has a lot about drinking in it so skip it if that's something you're uncomfortable with. Nothing bad happens really but yeah.  
This has become my comfort fic so pls enjoy or don't I can't make you

Willow couldn't really remember when she met Ben, mostly because she was an infant the first time it happened. Their parents were friends from childhood so, naturally, they grew up together. Willow supposed she could have been upset about being forced to be friends with someone but Ben made it so easy. He was kind to a fault and always had a compliment when she was feeling low. He was a good person and a better friend. So, when Connor ordered her to never see him again, it was hard but Connor was going to be her whole life. Ben, ever the gentleman, kindly understood and stepped aside. The look in his eyes when she said goodbye will haunt her, though. It was like she was breaking his heart.

Now that they could be friends again, maybe he could forgive her? He seemed sincerely happy to see her in the grocery store but she couldn't blame him if he hated her. Something inside of Willow told her that Ben couldn't really hate anyone but she really hurt him. Willow sighed, throwing on an oversized tee over her running shorts. Her hair was still wet from her shower and her eyes felt puffy from all of the crying she had just done. A glance in the mirror showed that they were a little red but she could always blame some shampoo getting in her eyes if she had to. She stepped outside of her room just the doorbell rang. 

Sebastian glanced at her and she waved him off. She could open her own door. She glanced through the peephole and squealed.

She threw the door open with gusto. "Ben!" she exclaimed, a smile blossoming on her face. 

Ben's eyes went wide and then smiled beautifully. It was undeniable that Ben was attractive. His dark skin, his perfect smile, his kind eyes. He was boyishly adorable and very popular with women. Of the few women he dated, it never lasted very long at all. The girls after they broke up would always glare at Willow but she never really understood what she had to do with it. Ben would always just say that it didn't feel right, whatever that means. 

"Willow," he nearly sighed. "Nice shirt," he remarked sarcastically. It was one of his old ones that he stopped wearing after high school. It was large on her but comfortable. 

"Oh, haha," she responded sardonically. "What brings you to my palace?" 

"A palace indeed," he said, quirking an eyebrow. "Well, I was thinking we could hit up the Hub, if you wanted."

The Hub was a sort of safe haven for them since they turned 21. It was the only club in town. If either of them had a rough week, they would go to the Hub, dance terribly, and, occasionally, drink a little too much. Then they would crash on the other's couch and eat brunch the next day. She hadn't thought about the Hub since she met Connor there. "O-oh, I don't..."

"I know you want to go. Don't worry, I'll protect you," Ben said. It was a matter-of-fact. He knew she wanted to but felt awkward going out without Connor there. 

"My knight in shining armor," she said with an eye roll. "Okay, fine. I'll go."

Ben's smile turned into a grin. He reached over and pulled her into a hug. It felt like he never wanted to let go until a voice called out from behind Willow. "Where might you be going, Lady Willow?" Sebastian nearly stalked forward. He was dressed impeccably, a black tee that hugged his biceps and framed his slim body. 

Ben's arms tightened around her for a second but withdrew quickly. "Oh, we were going to go to the Hub," Willow said nonchalantly. 

"The Hub?"

"Oh, yeah, it's just this club," she said, shrugging her shoulders. Sebastian did not look like much clarified to him. "We like to go there and dance to music and drink alcohol." 

Ben looked at her strangely. "Yeah." He paused for a moment and almost begrudgingly added. "You're welcome to join, if you want. I mean, you are her boyfriend and all." 

Willow laughed openly. "He's not my boyfriend, you weirdo." 

"No!?" Ben said, his grin back. Willow laughed softly and shook her head. Ben wrapped his arms around her again. 

"You're awfully affectionate today," Willow chuckled, returning his hug. She really, really missed him. 

"Can't help it," he mumbled into her hair. 

"I would love to attend," Sebastian asserted. The air around him was dangerous, as though he were angry. His jaw was clenched and his gaze could eat a hole through Ben. 

"Oh, great," Ben said, barely listening. He looked like he was walking on air. Willow's heart sang that her going made him that happy. "I'll pick you up at 8."

"Don't be late," they said at the same time, both collapsing in giggles. 

Sebastian snarled. "Yes, well. Better she have some time to get ready." 

Ben blinked at him. "Oh, yeah, sure. I'll see you later." Ben smiled largely and waved as he left. 

Willow turned and closed the door. She smiled softly and leaned her head against the door. Sebastian stood stoically by her, a question unasked still forming in the air. "What?" she asked, her smile not yet leaving. 

"So, Benjamin? What relationship do you have with him?" 

Willow beamed. "We've been friends since we were kids. I really missed him." 

"Oh. Is that all?"

"What else would it be?" 

"Never mind. I should also prepare for a dance," Sebastian said, nodding. 

"Seb, it's dancing, it's not a dance."

"Pray tell, what's the difference?"

"Well, it's not waltzing, for one."

"Yes, well, I believe I can pick up the steps quickly enough," Sebastian stated firmly. There could be no doubt. Willow just shrugged. She was confident that he would either figure it out or his head would explode. The only question left is which would be funnier.

\-----------------------------------------  
If Ciel was unhappy losing his butler for a few hours, she couldn't tell. She had a whole speech prepared about how just because he was a butler doesn't mean that Ciel own him and he is a whole person who should be allowed to have some time to himself. Instead, Ciel levied a look at Sebastian and then waved his hand. Sebastian smiled broadly and bowed. 

Hours later, they arrived into the Hub. It hadn't changed in the months she had been gone. It still reeked of spilled beer and sweat. The music was too loud, thumping the ground as they walked to an empty table. There were throngs of drunk adults grinding and swaying and talking too loud. 

She wore her usual, short jean shorts and a black tank top, what hair she could manage was to put into a ponytail, the rest hung down and framed her face. She decided to forgo make up again. It was starting to be a trend with her. 

Sebastian quickly took in all of the sights around him. It was an onslaught of sin and it made him smirk to himself. People of this time must be so easy to trick. Half the people in here would sell him their soul for a good cheeseburger with pickles. Too bad he was stuck to Ciel or he would have a feast. Though, none of them would taste any good at all. It would be too easy. 

Willow glanced nervously at him. He smiled serenely, showing her that he was okay. She was constantly concerned about him and Ciel and did more than she should to make sure that they were okay. For a stranger, she was very kind. Perhaps that was why he was feeling so territorial over her all of the sudden. He needed to be assured that her kindness didn't evaporate because this "Ben" wanted to attach himself to her. Of course, that must be it. 

Ben immediately went to the bar and Willow sat down on the bench. Sebastian scooted next to her, monopolizing that space. They were uncomfortably close, he could smell her sweet perfume. "Willow," he called. His voice carried perfectly over the music. 

She looked at him quizzically. "What?" she spoke yelled, trying to make herself heard over the music. 

"What is this type of dancing called?" He asked, gesturing to a couple near them on the dance floor.

As the woman bent over by the waist, the man grabbed her hips, pulling her closer. "Ah," Willow said, her face getting red. "It's called grinding. It's called that because-" 

"I can imagine," Sebastian said. Willow's blushing face was kind of... cute. She had a sweet, round face. Her bright green eyes and brown hair. She was pretty, as humans go. He leaned in closer to her. "And do you come to this place to...grind?" The way his voice asked it was orgasmic. The angle of his face, the way his tongue formed the words. Willow realized that she was staring at his mouth, waiting for it to do it again. And again. And again.

She blinked as she realized he finished speaking. Her throat was dry. "Uh, no," she said. She realized she unconsciously leaned toward him and leaned back. "I usually do more of that kind of dancing." She pointed to a group of drunk girls, sloppily bouncing offbeat. It looked terrible but fun. 

"Is that dancing?" Sebastian remarked. 

"Not really," Ben responded, setting drinks on the table. "First round is on me," Ben sang, handing her a shot. 

She looked at him confusedly. "You know I can't take shots." She took it anyway, holding it one hand. Sebastian grabbed the one Ben held out to him. 

"Yeah, yeah, put on your big girl panties, princess. You're never going to get wrecked if you sip oh so daintily," Ben said. Willow threw her head back and laughed. "Okay, count of three. One, two, and three."

On his count, she took the shot and slammed the glass on the counter. She winced pathetically at the harsh whiskey, her least favorite of all hard alcohol. Neither of the men seemed affected by the burn, making her snarl. 

"And since you've been such a good girl," Ben said, nearly suggestively. "Here is your reward." He handed her favorite, rum and diet soda. 

"You remembered!" she exclaimed, clearly touched. 

"Of course," Ben said softly. "Oh, I didn't know what you drank, so I just got you whiskey. You seem like the type." 

"Thank you," Sebastian nodded, taking the drink. He knew he wouldn't actually drink any of it so it was all moot. Though he did wonder haphazardly what Ben meant by being the type to drink whiskey. 

Ben looked at Willow. "Well? Drink, girl, drink." 

Willow saluted. "Yes, sir!" She quickly downed the first drink. The rush of rum burned again, making her feel a bit nauseous. 

As time passed, she got more and more numb. Her face began to feel hot. "So! Is it time to dance yet?" Ben asked, his eyes meeting her's intensely. Her drink addled brain could only nod and smile happily. Yes, dancing is a good idea. 

"Oh, Seb! I'll dance with you next song, 'kay? I pinky-inky-inky promise!" She said, holding up her pinky. Sebastian looked at her humorously. 

"Of course, Lady Harlow. Do be careful, won't you?" 

"Always a worry wort, my dear Sebastian" she said in a undeniably awful British accent. He winced and she laughed harder. "That was bad. Sorry!" 

Ben looked at him and then to Willow. He grabbed her waist and whispered in her ear. "Are you ever going to dance with me?" 

Sebastian's nostrils flared. They made eye contact, for the first time understanding the goal between the two of them. They both wanted Willow, whether they knew it or not. Willow giggled at the tickling of her ear. "Yes. Men these days, so impatient," she laughed drunkenly, pulling Ben's hand off her waist and yanking him on to the dance floor. They maneuvered through the groups of people to a fairly empty spot and started to sway. Ben slowly wrapped his hands around her waist, she rested her arms around his neck. Her head came to his chest, and she rested it there as they swayed. She listened to his heart beat. 

"Willow," he said, the sound thundering from his chest cavity. 

"What?" she said, straightening up, looking him in his eyes. There was a look there. A look that she could never place but in her half-drunk state, it all made sense. The relationships that just never felt right to him. The cancelling plans for her. The birthday gifts and remember her drink order and remembering that she liked a color called True Blue but she hadn't mentioned that in years. He remembered her birthday, and her parent's anniversary, and that she liked soda with a straw. He saw and talked and remembered and he loved her. There was nothing else in his eyes. Just love. Wholly and complete. Love unrequited for years and years. Love that watched her be hurt, love that watched her be put back together. Love. 

And it took her breath away. It wasn't something she ever considered. This type of relationship with her best friend. Her mouth formed and "O". Even from across the room, Sebastian could feel the paradigm shifting underneath him. He had to stop it, now. Part of his brain asked the very important question, "Why?" but he waved it away. He could think about that later. Right now, he needed to get her out of his arms. 

"Ben, I-" 

"Lady Harlow," Sebastian called, pulling her into his arms. Willow glanced at Ben and then at Sebastian and then back to Ben. "Uh, yeah, what's up?" 

"The song is over. I believe I was promised a dance," his smile was coy. A little sly. 

Willow hadn't even noticed the music. "Oh yeah, I guess it was. Um, Ben..." She wasn't even sure how to finish that sentence. 

"I think its time I went home. You're okay with taking a cab home, right?" She nodded shakily. "Take some time, okay?" Ben's gaze was searing. She smiled softly and nodded. "Love you." 

She choked. They always said that to each other before they left but, now, it felt real. "Love you, too." 

"I know," Ben said. 

"Have a good evening, Benjamin," Sebastian said with a smile. Ben didn't bother looking at him, just turned and walked away. 

"So, show me how this works," Sebastian nearly ordered. 

"Uh yeah, so you just move to the beat, I guess," she wrapped her arms around the back of his neck. He grabbed her waist gently and politely. She stepped closer, moving closer than she had ever been before. She barely even registered that Sebastian was there, her thoughts thinking back to her best friend. As if he could sense it, he decided to move closer. He was a demon, after all. Seducing a woman was hardly an effort.

He gently slid his hand from her hip to the hourglass curve of her side. She shivered unconsciously. Her body moved to be closer to him. He leaned down to her and whispered into the shell of ear. "Thank you for teaching me," he purred. 

"Y-yeah, no biggie," she whimpered. Ben was no longer on her mind. 

"I was wondering how you wish for me to make this up to you." The heat of his breath warmed her body completely. 

:"Make what up to me?"

"Everything. You've been such...a...good...girl. I need to reward you in some way." She moaned without meaning to.

"Reward me how?" She barely squeaked out. 

"How would you like me to? I could go fast or slow. I could be gentle or rough. Whatever you want." 

"O-oh, I..." She looked up at him. Her pretty eyes, her plump lips. He knew she was where he wanted her, all he had to do is give her a little push. He hooked a finger under her chin and pressed his lips to her's. And, then, he understood. He knew what this feeling was. He always heard about this but he didn't think it was possible for him. This tiny woman, a blip in history, was destined to be his. She belonged to him. She was his. It was like the big bang was happening in his body. An explosion of kindness and lust. Care and possessiveness. Emotions were welling up in his chest that he didn't know he could feel. The universe picked this woman for him and he would not allow anyone to take her away from him. 

That was, of course, until he felt a small hand against his chest pushing him away. His soulmate stood in front of him with swollen lips and blushing cheeks, a beautiful sight. However, her chest was heaving with anger, her face morphed into a grimace. "What the fuck was that?"


End file.
